Day 7 leaving North Carolina arriving in Pennsylvania

Day 7

Today was a little sad for me, my time with my family was very short. I was glad to spend a couple of hours with my dad and Nic.

Baxter and Smoochie didn't quite get along. I was sad to have to keep him in his crate while we visited. Smoochie is the sweetest dog, and really loved Maggie.

We left Wilmington about 11am for Pennsylvania. In Virginia, we crossed a cool bridge, but during this time there were power outages throughout the area because of storms. For awhile there, our gas was low and some of the gas stations couldn't give gas. We got lucky and found some in Northern Virginia, but had to wait awhile.

Arriving in DC was a trick as we kept going in circles. Once we parked, we did a short tour of the Washington Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.

Next was the long drive into Pennsylvania. The power was out still in Maryland as we departed DC which held us up on getting to Pennsylvania. There was a derecho storm that hit the Mid-Atlantic area causing power and phone outages. We arrived in Hamburg Pennsylvania at midnight and then stayed up until 3AM talking with my husband's brother and wife!

Day 6 home with my family

Day 6

Today was a fun day to visit with family. After we got a tour of Nic's awesome studio, we grabbed a bagel with my dad, and then headed to Carolina Beach. Today was very HOT. Even for the beach, the sand was hot. We walked down the beach for a few minutes, splashed in the water, and drove around the peninsula that The Cape Fear river meets the Atlantic Ocean.

The coastal towns in this area were really cute. The houses were painted in Caribbean colors, there was all sorts of places to buy sno cones, and even a little carnival.

From there we drove through downtown and met with my gramma and uncle. I couldn't stop thinking about ice cream, so we got some sorbet at the new Whole Foods store. Temperatures topped 100 degrees! Since we weren't used to heat and humidity, I was ready for a nap.

After my nap, and a dip in the pool for my husband and Maggie, we decided for dinner to take Nic out since it was her birthday. The Dock Street Oyster Bar was delicious for a meal, although we didn't have oysters. Since it was Friday night, downtown Wilmington had live music right on the bay front. We walked all around downtown with a stop at Checker Cab Art Gallery to see some of Nic's art. After that dinner and walk, we were exhausted.

Probably the most memorable and special part of this day was how much Maggie enjoyed the garden and flowers of in my dad's yard. Gramma Nic cut her a special bouquet of flowers that Maggie didn't let go of. I could spend hours just wandering this yard, there are so many different plants to adore.

I will be sad to leave this area, I felt right at home despite the extremely hot temperatures.

Day 5 arriving in North Carolina!

Day 5

Today was the day we would arrive in North Carolina, so naturally I was up and ready to go by 6:30am. No one else wanted to rush like I did.

As we entered the Knoxville area, my awe for this area increased. The Smoky Mountains came into view which are so beautiful. The drive through the mountains was definitely not a straight road like we encountered Texas. I didn't get any pictures unfortunately of today, probably because I was so busy admiring the beauty of Tennessee.

Finally we got into North Carolina, and we went from mountains to more coastal foliage as we neared Wilmington. The last 100 miles seemed to take forever, but we arrived in town at about dinner time. We met my dad at his house and had a TexMex dinner at a place called Flaming Amy's.

After 5 days of driving, our brains felt like mush. We collapsed into bed in our not-so-great hotel. I was very glad to be in Wilmington, and was looking forward to the next day of not driving and spending time with family.

Day 4 in Arkansas and Beautiful Tennessee

Day 4

We left Shawnee Oklahoma early, and the only thing I will remember about this city is how muggy and buggy it was. We were glad to be out of Oklahoma. Arkansas wasn't much more memorable other than we got caught up in a bad traffic jam, of all places.

Tennessee was a different story, it was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. We were slightly disappointed in how small the Mississippi river was when we came into Memphis. Lush hills and rocky cliffs were in view from the highway. We stopped in a little town called Cooksville for the night and splurged on the room. We also splurged on a genuine Tennessee barbecue dinner as well, and was it ever a satisfying meal. People were extremely friendly in this town and I can easily find myself desiring to live in such a wonderful place.

Finally tomorrow we will arrive in my home state of North Carolina to reunite with my dad and his family.

Day 3 in the flat lands

Day 3

Today was all driving. We left Flagstaff about 7am, and drove through a desolate east Arizona. Just as the scenery became more varied and beautiful, we entered New Mexico. I can see why this is called the land of enchantment as it is beautiful. My husband likes the southwest, and commented how he liked Albuquerque. Eastern New Mexico became flat and desolate like Arizona.

Texas was also flat, but again, the scenery changed once we crossed the state line. The panhandle,of Texas had many farms, windmills, and cows-and FLAT. As we began to see more small canyon valleys and trees, we entered Oklahoma. I was slightly impressed with the view here. Once we got out of the car however, bugs and humidity filled the air.

We stayed in Shawnee OK this night. Not much excitement to report for this driving day. Tomorrow we are off to Arkansas and Tennessee.

Day 2 in the beautiful Southwest

Day 2

We woke up early today since we fell asleep so early from our long drive yesterday on so little sleep. Our drive south to Zion National Park was around 3 hours, but once we entered the general area, we were awestruck. As my husband said, "This is the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen." I have to agree, Zion Park is gorgeous. The carved tunnel with the windows was cool, literally.

After that tour, we headed southeast to the Arizona border. The landscape changed almost immediately to canyons, red rock and dramatic rock formations. Years ago, I lived in Arizona, and the beauty of the desert is truly unique. The drive to the Grand Canyon was not only long, but we endured a downpour we were not used to. In Oregon, it drizzles, but it poured buckets hard enough that we pulled over until the rains slowed. We were slightly disappointed in how crowded it was and the level of tourism it displayed. Other than that, it was definitely beautiful.

Flagstaff was our next stop, and once my husband got a look at this town, we decided the spend our second night here. I love Flagstaff, and we ate at San Felipe's-which was delicious.

Day 3 & 4 will be long driving days and probably not as picturesque as today was.

Day 1 in the Wide West

Day 1

We have hit the road! By 5am, we were leaving Portland on the greatest road trip we have ever endured. Heavy rains saw us off this morning, and we are trying to appreciate the cooler wet weather as the rest of the country is baking in 90F temperatures.

As my husband and I are excited to begin this trip, Maggie is still a bit sleepy.

Driving through Oregon wasn't much excitement as we have seen most of highway 84. Once we got past Pendelton however, the scenery became gorgeous.

Driving through remote Eastern Oregon, my husband insisted that a straw cowboy hat was necessary for the trip.

Passed through Idaho-not a memorable drive. We were glad to finally make it to Utah. Our tummies were hungry, it was nearly 100 degrees, and we were tired. We drove 14 hours (my husband did a majority of the driving), and had only slept 4 hours the night before! We reached Nephi, Utah at about 8pm.

Only three more days!

We are so excited for our trip now, and have fine tuned our driving itinerary-just what I did not want to do initially. Our first day of driving will be a long one-at least 12 to 14 hours. We hope to make it to Nephi, Utah sometime late in the evening on the first night. Nothing special about this place other than it has the most selection of lodging and eating before we head south to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon. The second day of driving will be more relaxed so we can enjoy the scenery. We will spend our second night hopefully in Flagstaff, Arizona after our day of sightseeing.

I have a special fondness for Flagstaff too. Years ago when I lived in Arizona, I would make trips up to this mountainous college town and admire the trees. Coming from Oregon to Phoenix Arizona was already a culture and scenic shock. Seeing those tall pine trees made me feel like I was back home.

Our next two days will be long ones again, and we hope to reach as close to Knoxville Tennessee on our fourth day. The fifth day won't be as intense for driving as we hope to drive through the Great Smoky Mountains on our way into Wilmington North Carolina. It has been twenty years since I have seen this part of America, but I remember how beautiful it was. Once we arrive at our first destination, we hope the weather will allow us to enjoy the beach not to far from Wilmington.

So the next 3 days will seem to pass so slowly as it always does when you are waiting for vacation to begin!

Revisions to the Route

Initially, our plan was to take the Northern Route to the East Coast and head south to Wilmington North Carolina to see my family after our visit to Pennsylvania. To accommodate schedules, we are reversing our direction of arrival. I had wanted this to be a somewhat spontaneous road trip, but the planning is exciting for my husband, therefore he has a detailed itinerary. As of today (because such events are fluid), we will be heading to the Grand Canyon first, then taking I-40 east to Wilmington North Carolina. We will spend just over 24 hours there visiting my family.

Wilmington is a great little college town situated very close to the beach. Oregon doesn't have a beach, it's lovingly called the coast. You won't see many people sunbathing at the Oregon coast, but kite flying instead. That's because it's usually cool at the Oregon Coast, albeit beautiful. My husband and I were married in the coastal city of Newport Oregon in 2004, but the unpredictable weather there holds us back from being sentimental about the location of our marriage. The North Carolina beach is fantastic, and WARM! We are greatly looking forward to spending some time at the beach with my dad. Too bad it isn't oyster season however.

After we depart Wilmington, we are planning to head up to Pennsylvania via I-95. Originally I wanted to cut over east to take the Chesapeake Bay bridge and drive through Delaware, but my husband isn't too keen on that idea. At least with the more direct route we will have the opportunity to stop in Washington DC, as this will add to the whole Americana feel of this road trip.

Departing from Pennsylvania, we can then take the Northern Route home. We are greatly interested in seeing what South Dakota is all about in the city of Wall and Deadwood (I truly believe my husband is a cowboy at heart). From there, we will endure a long trip through the great state of Montana but I am sure it will be a gorgeous view.

So, although we really tried to not plan our route on this road trip, it doesn't appear that we can refrain from doing so. We will have some long traveling days, but will break up the route each way with a day of fun and sightseeing. Only eleven more days to go!

Two more weeks and counting

We are set to leave in two weeks for a roadtrip of a lifetime, and a lot of detail planning is necessary to ensure we have everything we need. Two years ago, we made a trip back to Pennsylvania via plane, which forced us to pack light. Although we have more space in our car, we still want to pack light-if there's nothing more I can't tolerate, it's a messy car.

Our dog Baxter is of course coming along. To make this trip more convenient and safe for him, we purchased a soft sided dog carrier and a harness that attaches in the car (a doggie seatbelt). Traveling with a six year old can be somewhat challenging at times in itself, but add an eight pound dog to it all, and it could be a delicate balancing act.

Now that the excitement of the roadtrip has settled somewhat, I am thinking of being as prepared as possible for whatever kind of issue that might arise. Our car is very new, so I am not too worried about it mechanically. I stocked up our first aid kit with just about every item that might be needed for days on the road, but I can't help but wonder, "What else have I forgotten?"  That's me-the mom who always want to be prepared for anything.

Although we aren't planning our trip home too specific, one stop we are definitely making is in Wilmington, North Carolina-where my family is. We will be there for about a day (overnight), and I am very excited to see my family if for just 24 hours. Wilmington is a charming coastal city near the border of South Carolina. It adds eights hours to our drive home, but that doesn't seem like much considering. What I also like about heading that direction from Pennsylvania is we can stop in Washington DC? (Hopefully?)

Till next time...

The Great American Roadtrip

Both my husband and I have migrated from the east coast to the west on a one way trip. When I was five, my mother and I moved from North Carolina to southern Oregon (that was 1978!). We traveled the southern route so we could hit California and see family. This experience was the 'beginning' of my memories timeline, and I regret not having photos of this trip. A little more than ten years ago, my husband migrated from Pennsylvania to Oregon to begin our life together. He took the bus. Although he got to Oregon in just three days, the route wasn't especially exciting. Both of our previous roadtrip experiences had the specific purpose of migration without the leisure of exploring what America is all about.

This trip will be different. For one, it is round trip so there will be two different routes we will take. And we are making the the trip not just about the destination, but also about the journey itself. So, as my husband diligently plans our route, where we will stay, what towns we should see, I am just looking forward to seeing what America is all about.